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How to Overclock an Asus HyperTransport

By Jeff Grundy

Many modern motherboards enable you to overclock the system processor by increasing the core clock speed in the BIOS. However, ASUS motherboards designed for AMD chips use HyperTransport technology, which integrates the clock speed of the CPU with the clocks of other components in the system, like RAM, the front-side bus and the graphics processor. Consequently, if you want to overclock an AMD system with an ASUS motherboard, raising the HyperTransport value increases performance for not only the CPU but also other components in the system as well.

Step 1

Shut down the computer, and restart it. As soon as you see the ASUS logo or BIOS POST screen, press the "Delete" key a few times.

Step 2

Enter your BIOS administrator password if prompted, and press "Enter." The main BIOS setup menu appears on the monitor.

Step 3

Navigate to the "Advanced Settings" or "Advanced BIOS Settings" menu option or tab using the arrow keys, and then press "Enter." Alternatively, click the appropriate tab or menu if the ASUS BIOS supports the use of a mouse (newer motherboard models only).

Step 4

Scroll down to and select "CPU Frequency" or "CPU Clock," and then press "Enter."

Step 5

Type a new value in the "CPU Frequency" or "CPU Clock" that is no more than 10 MHz higher than the current value. Press "Enter" to enter the new clock frequency speed.

Step 6

Press "F10" to save the change to the BIOS settings, and restart the computer.

Step 7

Log in to Windows normally, and test the system for stability.

Step 8

Restart the system, and enter the BIOS menu again. Navigate to the "CPU Frequency" or "CPU Clock" menu option, and enter a new value 10 MHz higher than the current clock speed.

Step 9

Restart the computer and test again for stability. Continue to increase the "CPU Frequency" or "CPU Clock" value in the BIOS in five to 10 MHz increments until you achieve the desired performance level or the system shows signs of instability.

Tip

If the system crashes or freezes after increasing the "CPU Frequency" or "CPU Clock" speed, restart the system and reduce the value.

Warning

Overclocking the HyperTransport clock speeds in the BIOS can cause the temperature of your AMD CPU to increase considerably. If you plan to overclock the CPU more than 10 percent or so, you should replace the stock heatsink and fan with a high-quality thermal solution designed for overclocking. If you fail to cool the AMD CPU adequately, the increased heat could cause irreparable damage.

About the Author

Jeff Grundy has been writing computer-related articles and tutorials since 1995. Since that time, Grundy has written many guides to using various applications that are published on numerous how-to and tutorial sites. Born and raised in South Georgia, Grundy holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.